Jobs

Civil Engineering Internship Program

2016 interns with MnDOT program coordinator Lorianna Yang (second from the right).

This program, offered in partnership by CTS and MnDOT, is designed to provide an opportunity for undergraduate students interested in transportation-related careers to gain real-world skills to complement their academic pursuits.

As part of the program, interns spend 10 weeks in paid positions at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) gaining hands-on professional experience. Participants work on transportation-focused projects and are provided with mentoring, training, and development opportunities.

In 2018, positions will be available in several MnDOT offices, working in areas ranging from design, construction, and traffic to water resources and land surveying. To provide the best match between students and MnDOT, you will be asked to rank your preference for working in specific topic areas as part of the application process.

Hours

Internships generally last 10-12 weeks during the summer working full-time (40 hours a week).

Pay

The starting pay scale is $13.53 to $15.43.

Benefits

Program participants are not eligible for benefits. However, after the internship ends they may be eligible to become a college student worker or transfer into the Seeds Program, a career track for college students who are minorities, economically disadvantaged, disabled or recently returned veterans.

Qualifications

Applicant must be an undergraduate student currently pursuing a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Applicant must be legally eligible for employment in the United States. Proof of your eligibility to work in the United States will be required.

Priority will be given to students completing their junior year, but sophomores may also apply.

Priority will be given to applicants with GPAs of 3.0 or better.

The program is open to all qualified applicants. Members of diverse groups are encouraged to apply.

No prior transportation-related work experience is required.

How to apply

If you are a student attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities or Duluth please follow these steps to apply below:

Participant highlights

2016 intern James Bolton and his MnDOT supervisor, Nicole Bartelt

“I never thought I would be doing such important work. My internship has shown me real-world application skills in the field of engineering [and] allowed me to create a clear path to landing a job.”
—Joshua Tarr, 2016 intern

"My internship has given me the opportunity to study a topic that hasn't really been explored in-depth before, and I’ve been finding things that people weren’t really expecting. And it might change the way that we go about making work zones safer.”
—Caitlin Johnson, 2015 intern

“The best part of my summer internship was all the real-world learning that I was exposed to. Seeing various stages of different [concrete] paving jobs really helped me understand things that are needed to develop durable highways...This experience showed me problems and solutions in practice that I could not get from a classroom.”
—Justice Harvieux, 2014 intern

“Through this internship I was able to further determine what area of civil engineering I wish to focus on. It was one of the best experiences I have had while at the U of M.”
—Brandi Rajala, 2014 intern

“This internship was a great stepping stone for me to be more prepared to face the world as an engineer in the future.”
—Sharon Wong, 2013 intern